Charles Spence - The future of food

Charles Spence

University of Oxford

From The Conference August 17, 2016

”When food gets plated centrally people is willing to pay more”

Adding music to your eating experience could seem like a novelty, but its value has been scientifically proven by psychologist Charles Spence from Oxford University. We know that we eat as much with our eyes, as with our tongues and noses. We revel in sharing and browsing through gastroporn with our phones, but actually all of our senses are involved in the aesthetic experience of restaurant food. Charles presents research that shows how sound, colour – indeed the entire backdrop of the event affects what we prefer.

Food companies are beginning to take an interest in these result, be it what colour plate to use or what sounds go best with seafood. And it’s not all about selling at a premium, eg. finding the ideal colour combination to convey sweetness could reduce our requirement for calories. Augmented reality could even help us recreate food products that are becoming, or already are, scarce.